3D printed human skull

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3D printed human skull

What do you know about 3D printers? Watch the video to find out how a printer makes a 3D skull!

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Transcript

CHRIS: On here I've got loads of pictures of my head and we're gonna do something that until recently would have seemed like science fiction. That's right! I'm gonna print my skull!

This is a 3D printer. It's not like a normal printer with ink and paper. This prints things you can pick up and use! But one of the most amazing things it can do is print replacement body parts. And to prove it, I'm gonna print an exact copy of my skull.

My MRI scan images are sent to this printer, which then prints each slice of my skull as a thin layer of blue glue in this bed of powder, until the complete skull is created.

In charge of 3D printing at Nottingham University is Dr Glen Kirkham.

DR KIRKHAM: So that's your skull.

CHRIS: Now they've printed the skull in blue, just for me. It's very, very creepy actually! I do that, it's exactly like scratching my own head. He may not look a lot like me, but in fact the shape of your skull enormously influences the way you look, because no two skulls are alike. Your skull is the only one of its kind in the world.